DiMarzio Steve's Special

Humbucking pickup - coils are tuned to different frequencies.

I used this pickup in the bridge position in a Esp Viper, Epiphone LP Custom, and an Ibanez RG570. I previously was using a seymour duncan JB, Dimarzio Evolution, EMG 81, and a Dimarzio Super distortion.... Just experimenting different pickups for a cool sound. I plug into a soldano avenger biased to take el34s and 6550 into a cab loaded with 2 celestion vintage 30's and 2 g12H30 in a x pattern. I usually lower the gain and push the soldano with a maxon od808 for the metal stuff.

Dimarzios best kept secret. This is the ultimate rhythem pickup in my opinion. I started off using a emg 81 and a dimarzio evolution and while is a great lead pickup it sucks for rhythem and chording. everything blends together and you cant hear crap. With the steves special its hot enough to do any kind of metal but cold enough to be absolutely clear about it. If you have some brutal gain and you hit a chord you can hear every single note spread out gorgeously like a Effing Harp - and you wont get any more clear with any other pickup. I recommend a tube screamer to boost the mids to give the punch and chunk for the metal riffing. I noticed I had to turn up the mids on my amp which was cool cuz it only helped everything cut through better. It sounded pretty good in my esp viper but for some reason it sounded warmer in my cheaper epiphone LP custom?? which has an alder top. My hunch is it would sound good in a strat or a super-strat type guitars as well as gibsons, or esps

I think no other pickup can do what this pickup was designed to do and for that...its original and effective. Most pickups are designed for leads or classic but finally a pickup perfect for the rhythem guitarist. Ive bought this pickup twice already and ill prolly buy it again.

Bridge position on my Ibanez Jem 77FP

I've used this pickup with a Fender Twin Reverb, a Roland BC-60 Blues Cube, and a Blackstar HT-5 mini stack.

For me this pickup just doesn't quite fit the bill. Like another reviewer stated, the scooped mid's left me wanting more out of the sound. Not only that but when I dialed in mid's on any of my amps it just sounded terrible with this pickup. It does have some very nice qualities...but it just wasn't for me.

I play anything from jazz to metal. Typically this guitar was used for playing Satriani, Vai, or some Ozzy.

It is definitely usable and I'm sure is exactly what some people are looking for. I would not buy this pickup again. I have let it sit in my Jem for about 5 years and recently swapped it out for the Super Distortion. I'm glad that I finally did.

Passive Humbucker with 4 wire conductor. Dimarzio lists this as one of their "high power" pickups. Ceramic magnet - resistance is 17.89

Installed this in the bridge position of my G&L HB swamp ash hardtail. I ordered this guitar with the Duncan TB4, which I have really liked in other guitars, but in this particular guitar it had a very pronounced midrange spike to it. Very much like the open "wah" pedal effect that some people seem to like - not for me though. G&L stock alnico single coils are in the mid and neck positions.

Dimarzio specs state the EQ on this pickup has the mids pulled down a lot, so it seemed like the best option for this guitar. Turned out to be a perfect choice. Really toned down the mid-spike that the TB4 brought out - has an excellent articulate clarity to it - lows and higs very well balanced. Output is hot, but not so much to get mushy - chords and solos cut through - I prefer to let the amp push the signal. Plenty of meat in HB mode - nice sparkle and stratty quality to the coil split. I've played this through Mesa Stiletto Ace/Freda Live 2x12 and Carvin X-100B/Mesa 2x12 Vertical rigs with very pleasing results. My style leans to punk/classic rock to which this works excellent for.

I've been playing close to 30 years, and have been through a lot of gear through the years.
I would consider buying this again - although it seemed especially well suited for my situation. It really did what I needed it to do by taming the middy quality of this axe. I've always been a fan of Seymour Duncan pickups, and have only recently started checking out Dimarzios, and every one I've tried has been great.

Already listed. I will skip this section.

I installed this in a douglas WR model electric (Ibanez RG copy) to replace the bridge stock pickup.

The tonal quality of the pickup seems mediocre. It certainly sounds better than the stock pickup, but not by a whole lot. It added no notable color or quality to the overall sound. In this, I was the most disappointed, as it's nearly impossible to tryout a pickup before buying it unless it's a very popular model that comes stock on guitars in the stores.

I play all styles from soft rock / pop, to heavy metal and everything in between and really can't find a good tone in any of it. I have an Epiphone with stock pickups in it that I would rate higher than this one.

I would not buy this pickup again.

I've played for 27 years, have used the super dist. pickup in the past and loved it. I currently use duncan JBJ and other models and was just looking for something that was a change of pace, for the sake of playing with my tone. I think that was a mistake.

Its a passive humbucking pickup, I don't know the exact specs of the output, impendance, etc.

I installed this on a 2007 Ibanez RG1570. The Steves Special was put in the bridge and replaced a Dimarzio Evolution. I also replaced the Evo neck with an Air Norton, and the single coil with a Dimarzio Blue Velvet.

John Petrucci uses this pickup.

I changed the stock pickups because while they were okay, they just had very "neutral" tone, like they were doing there job, but they were just a little lazy. The sound was slightly muddy on lower notes and the sustain just wasnt enough.

I tried a set of Evos, and while they were good at getting the ballsy, smooth overdriven tones, they just couldnt get anything else.
Clean on a Evo is horrible!

I got the Steves Special and Air Norton because I loved the tones that John Petrucci got in the 2 Liquid Tension Experiment albums.
He would be doing a lead, and you could hear him roll back the volume and still get a nice mellow tone.

I play Blues, instrumental stuff (Satch) and most of the time have huge jams with all of my friends.


The output is high, not as high as an Evo though. The mids are slightly cut so the amp isnt overdriven right away, allowing you to still get clean/dirty sounds. I run it through a Fender Supersonic all-tube Combo. I also use an Ibanez TS9 and Boss SD-1 for boosts, and a Morley Bad Horsie 2 Wah. The tone is AMAZING!!

After i installed them i jammed at my buddys house with the guys, so my amp was cranked. Notes literally seemed to "jump" out of the amp and best thing was that since the mids are cut, you can turn up the mids alot on your amp without it getting muddy. I cut right through the mix even with vocals.

With the switch putting one coil of the bridge with the single coil, you get this awesome twangish, dirty tele kind of tone. Especially overdriven. And for leads this pickup never has too much treble or too much bass, etc. Its PERFECT, and rolling back the volume to about 4-5ish = Hendrix/ SRV.


This suits my style perfectly, as its SO versatile, it responds very well to your picking attack and the settings of your amp and pedals.


I would say this pickup isnt good for the metalheads who think a pickup must be BROOTALZ enough to get CRUSHING tone out of their Marshall MG15.

If for some reason a guy stole the pickups out of my guitar (haha) i would definately buy another Steve's Special.

Ive been playing for about 2 years, i also have a Gibson Flying V that im thinking about putting the same pickup combo in.

I love EVERYTHING about it!

Single coil or humbucking? Active or passive? : Passive Humbucker

Impedance or other specs? : www.dimarzio.com

What model guitar or bass did you install this in?
Jackson KellyStar Japan Custom Shop

What position is it in?
Bridge

What pickup are you replacing?
Stock Duncan Designed PU

Other pickups installed on the instrument?
Neck PU is Dimarzio Air Norton

Any artists using this pickup?
John Petrucci & Steve Moorse, that is as far as i know

Reason for changing the pickup?
Need a more powerfull PU, n love for Metal Music!!

What's the output level like?
Output level is sufficient, not too loud, not too subtle, jst nice for my style of playing

What amps and effects are you using it with?
i mainlly use a Line6 Spider II 15 amp, and also a Line6 Toneport UX 1 for recording

Tone - Bassy, middy, muddy, trebly, balanced?
Tone is just what im looking for in a pickup. I dunt really like very sweet high mids, jst lows cz im playing dropped tunes, the lows is supported by the high trebles, not the mids cz as u all know, the mids r scooped. Yet playing is not muddy at all!

What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?
I mainlly play melodic death metal, this pickup has all that i want on my guitar. It works well clean, as well as very2 high gain. great grind with lots of fluidity.

If it was destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?
if its stolen, ill go and have a go with the x2n or d activator x pickup!! hahaha!! no seriouslly.. ill buy another 1, and make xcuses that i need another guitar.. then ill get the x2n/d activator x thingy!! hahahah!!!

Passive Humbucker pickup.

I was looking for a pickup that would have a good balance of clean tone that wasn't too midrange heavy,but when distorted, still had a good heavy sound.

I use baritone guitars, dropped to C, through a Mesa Dual rectifier. My main guitar is an LTDMHB-400, which has a Maple body. Even though the Maple is supposed to make the pickups sound brighter than most woods, I was still having a problem with too much Bass and midrange coming through the overall sound. With the Mesa, I would still have to turn the Bass all the way down.

BLAM!!! Problem solved!! FINALLY!!!!
This is by far the best pickup I've ever come across. I have since bought 6 of them. They go into the bridge of every guitar I own.The clarity is absolutely amazing!! It is a perfect balance of treble and bass. Even though it's advertised as "mid scooped", I can use the natural mid sound of the amp to compensate very easily. This is a "must have" pickup for everyone. Metal, Rock, Alternative, Country, Jazz, it doesn't matter. Because this pickup will respond to your amplifier settings like no other pickup I've ever found.

The cleans are clean and clear. When distorted, the sounds can be heavy and dark, midrangy, trebly, all depending on how you set the eq settings on your amp.

Ive also tried this pickup in Mahogany, Alder, and Ash, through a Marshall valvestate 100v-8100, and a Peavey Ultra 120 as well as the Mesa.. It never has disappointed EVER in any combination or style.

I won't buy anything else for my bridge pickups. Dimarzio has got me sold on this one 100%.

I've been playing guitar for 25-years. My search for that perfectly versitile pickup is over.

If I could rate this pickup a "12" I would.

follow up!

RG520qs
rg1570
bridge position

harmonics are UNREAL on this pickups,
it sooooooooo easy to get,
mids scoops ar not even noticable..
it only makes your Notes.. more CLEARER.

UNREAL totally awesome.

390mv output
scooped mids

i have this pickup installed on 2 of my rg one is 520qs(mahogany) and 1570(basswood) both on bridge.with neck pickups - air norton on 520 and breed on 1570.

sounds amazing on both...mahogany and basswood,both sounds perfect to me. ive owned fred,paf pro,paf joe,evolutions,evo2 ,breed,norton,d sonic,air zone.

hands down perfect .even with scooped mids.is not really bad at all.very vocal -aww-like when doing fast runs ,even with scooped mid.doesnt mud at all even if u dialed mids all the way down..sounds incredible. fast runs very clear. harmonics galore ,very easy to get.

my search is over.never taking this one out. been playing for 16 yrs.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: www.dimarzio.com for specs

Model of guitar or bass: schecter c1 elite (mahogany body and neck)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: evolution
Other pickups on guitar: humbucker from hell (neck)
Artists using this pickup: John Petrucci used it on many recordings when he used his Ibanez sig model guitar
You musical style(s): rock
Reason for pickup change: Evolution (not the new evo2) pickup was pure fuzz on the low notes, for solos it was just beautiful...but there is more to life than just solos (I think). NAH! But for tricky prog rock stuff the pickup was just not getting the job done.

Perceived output level: it's in the hot range.
Tone: Something like an EMG but much better. High's don't cut your ears like a razor.
Sonic evaluation: guitar -> digitech 2101 LE -> Carvin TS100 power amp -> two 4x12 cabinets stereo.
This pickup laughed at my all mahogany guitar and shot the mids right out of it. I messed around with the EQ a bit and was shocked to discover no matter HOW high I turned up the mids this thing never turned "fuzzy". I know others had claimed this as well but it's something you have to see/hear to believe. EMG pickups do this too but this is a different animal. This pickup still retains some "soul".
NOTE: This is was not a "plug and play" pickup, it took some work and adjustment of my ears to get what I wanted. I'm not disappointed.
As many other players have noted this pickup is very articulate. It will pick up everything, including your pick. I switched my ultex picks with the old assortment of old 80's color tortex picks and it seemed to help a bit with the pick noise, the ultex was just a bit clacky. It HAS to be the pick, no way could it be my technique. =P
Bottom line(s):
No doubt about it, you can get busy and this pickup will stay with you the whole way. With this particular guitar (mahogany)...I know this sounds wierd...it's easier to pinch harmonics with the SS than the evolution. Yes I'm sober.
If you want a big fat Billy Gibbons tone stay away from this pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Unsuitable for any style that -relies- on fuzzy guitar tones to hide mistakes.

Comments: I recommend this pickup to all my shredding brethren.
For slow solo passages I sill prefer the tone of the evolution.